5 Ways to Prepare for a Home Remodeling Project

First and foremost…. you need to completely empty out the area to be remodelled. This means removing everything inside of cabinets, on shelves, and on countertops. Make sure you are courteous of the crew and allow them plenty of space to work. If the flooring is being replaced, the furniture will need to be moved out as well. It’s a good idea to discuss with your contractor the best options for storing your furniture and belongings during the renovation. Typically the contractor will have you move all of the small stuff, and his guys will manipulate the furniture.

Take inventory of your belongings

Whether you’re remodeling a bathroom or doing a gut renovation, having a list of your permanent home items is important for a few reasons:

• For insurance purposes: It’s not easy to keep track of your valued assets, so use this as an opportunity to list all of your belongings and their values.
• It makes it easier to clean. decide whether there’s anything you’d part with before the renovation and take advantage of this opportunity to sell, give away hand-me-downs or save. Anything that won’t be used post-renovation, get it out before you start the demo.

Clean and keep cleaning

Brace yourself for the dirt. If you’ve ever seen a construction site, you probably noticed there was a lot of dust and dirt. There’s going to be a lot of extra dust in your house for the next few weeks, but resist the urge to vacuum it! There are a few things you can do to minimize the mess: setting up ZipWalls and cordoning off the remodel area are steps in the right direction. A great contractor will also help you figure out how to redirect your home’s airflow to minimize the amount of dust you encounter outside the workspace. This can also be helpful if painting or staining needs to be done inside. Be sure to change the HVAC air filter frequently during the remodel.

Make decisions

Problems will undoubtedly arise when walls come down and you are able to see something you couldn’t see before. This could mean a number of things, such as changes in the design as a result of unexpected circumstances, or electrical and plumbing issues. While planning will help keep these problems to a minimum, it’s still likely that some problems will occur.

Learn to deal with the noise

Prepare for noise. This may not be a problem if you are away several hours per day, however, if you work from home, you’ll want to make sure your home office is set up as far away as possible from the construction area. Escaping the sound of hammers or the buzz of a saw is not easy, and may require you to get creative or even find a temporary out-of-the-house office solution. Certainly taking steps to mitigate noise ahead of time will help you maintain your sanity.

Make Question

Communication is the key in any relationship. The most important thing to do leading into a remodel is to communicate with your contractor. Most contractors will tell you that the key to a successful remodel where all parties leave happy is good communication between the clients and the remodelers. If you have any questions, don’t be shy or hesitant to put them forward. The more you become involved in the process, the more you’ll build trust with your contractor, which will reduce any future misunderstandings.

Finally, enjoying the process, although home remodelling is timely and a somewhat inconvenient process, a positive approach and thorough preparation can make it much less difficult. Keep these tips (and of course, the vision of your beautifully remodelled home!) at the front of your mind, and the project will be complete before you know it!

As usual, our channels of communication are always open to you, so contact us with any questions you may have about the home remodelling process or how to get prepared.